'We're Here For Laura' by Luwa Adebanjo
Nottingham New Theatre

Laura Penbrooke died 3 months ago and her closest friends are still reeling. There’s Mitton, the D list reality TV star desperate to stay relevant and famous, Alex, the spoilt rich boy who is on perpetual gap year to discover himself. Paul, the delusional musical theatre student. And Carol from Finance, the work obsessed secretary whose last name is a mystery. As they come together for a dinner to remember Laura they realise that not only did they hate Laura, but they actually hate each other too. As the dinner progresses the friends realise it’s the perfect opportunity to air out all their grievances.

Written by NNT students Luwa Adebanjo and Kellyn Morrissey, I can honestly say that this is one of the funniest, original pieces of theatre I've seen, not only at the New Theatre but in Nottingham for a while.

It is cleverly written and while not entirely based on fact, there are well placed topical nods, and I am sure that she has used some of the characteristics of her friends, and exaggerated them to almost comic book standards, making this a deliciously wicked, fun and biting piece of theatre.

Loved the idea of the scene, played in real time, being recorded live for Mitton's Mixed Up World, her reality TV show, capturing everything about the evening. Now that would be a reality show I would watch!

Produced by Flo Avis and Directed by Luwa Adebanjo, it had such a natural feel about it, it was almost like being a fly on the wall.

The set was Mitton's apartment and the table is set for a meal because they were all there for Laura. The kind of apartment that you would expect a "D List Celebrity" to have, well you can imagine. Designed by Zoe Smith and Teodora Elena.

Beth White (Mitton) makes her NNT debut in this role, and looked to be enjoying every second as the fame hungry nano-celebrity.

Charlie Basley (Paul) also looked to be in his element, playing to his comedic strengths. Great flouncing and wonderful shoes, and I for one would buy a ticket for Paul's One Man Show.

Helen Brown (Carol from Finance) is at the opposite end of the spectrum in this quartet with her deliberately slow delivery, calming down the over excitable other three just by being in the same room, like a sedatory osmosis.

Eric Crouch (Alex) plays an excitable American Ninja Buddhist - or is that a Buddhist Ninja? Just the latest of his fads, which in the past had included arson, which had lead to his exile from Luxembourg! His entrance was one I won't forget in a while.

The play is absolutely packed with some brilliant comedy scenes and throwaway one liners. One, so simple, but appealed to my puerile sense of humour, was delivered by Alex when he said "Denial is not just a river in Europe". the silliness and geographical faux pas delivered poker-faced to Carol from Finance had me chuckling all the way on the bus home.

It reminded a little bit of Mrs Brown, staging wise, as there were cut ins which allowed Paul to give us an incite into his new One Man Show, complete with spotlight and jazz music intro and dance. All adding to the silliness of the play.

I've said in the past that NNT do comedy so well and this is just another example of this fact, and I am so pleased that I managed to catch this, with it being the last outing for the play, but would be great if sometime in the future it was dusted off again for more chuckles.

What would Laura have made of it?